The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! is a 1966 comedy film directed by Norman Jewison. The film stars Carl Reiner, Eva Marie Saint, Alan Arkin, Brian Keith, and Jonathan Winters.
The film begins with a Soviet Navy submarine, led by Captain Alexei Vostrikov (Theodore Bikel), getting stuck on a sandbar off the coast of an American island in New England. Vostrikov sends his second-in-command, Lieutenant Rozanov (Alan Arkin), ashore to secure a power source to free the submarine. However, things go awry when Rozanov's cover as a Norwegian sailor is quickly exposed.
Meanwhile, the island's residents, including Police Chief Link Materson (Brian Keith), and local resident Walt Whittaker (Carl Reiner), mistake the arrival of the Russian sailors for an invasion by the Soviet Union. As hysteria spreads across the island, it's up to Rozanov to try to unite the two sides and prevent a disastrous incident.
The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! was well-received upon its release, with many critics praising its humor and message of peace. The film was a commercial success, earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture, and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.
Overall, The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! is a classic Cold War-era comedy that successfully pokes fun at the tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union during the time period.